WASHINGTON  The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Labor-Management Standards today published a request for information notice seeking public comments to assist the department in issuing guidance concerning the use of electronic voting systems in union officer elections.

Title IV of the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959 establishes democratic standards for the conduct of union officer elections. The LMRDA does not, however, require a particular method or system of voting. Labor organizations are free to establish their own methods or systems of voting for officer elections as long as they are consistent with lawful provisions in the union's constitution and bylaws, and Title IV provisions.

"Ensuring democratic standards and the integrity of the voting process in union officer elections is an essential mission of this agency," said OLMS Director John Lund. "We hope that the information we gather from this request for information will help us assess the impact of new technology on union democracy."

Comments from interested parties, including union members and officers, technology experts, academia, election service providers, public interest groups and the general public, will help the department in describing minimum standards that electronic voting systems must meet to comply with the provisions of LMRDA's Title IV. In addition, the comments should help determine issues to be addressed and specific standards to be included in the guidelines. These guidelines and standards are intended to assist the department in its obligation to ensure compliance with Title IV of the LMRDA.

Additional information is available at http://www.olms.dol.gov and from Stephen J.Willertz, director of OLMS' Office of Enforcement and International Union Audits, at 202-693-1182.